Municipalities bring local solutions to reduce poverty (03/07/2017)

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is putting forward local solutions today to reduce poverty across the country—with formal recommendations for the federal government's promised Canadian Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Every day, municipal leaders see how poverty stops people from achieving their full potential. They are building solutions with the tools they have, but ending poverty is a job for all orders of government. FCM's message today is that lasting solutions need to build on the frontline expertise of local governments.

ʺWe know that local insight and local actions will help drive poverty reduction. That's why Ottawa needs to engage local governments every step of the way," said FCM President Jenny Gerbasi. "We're bringing local solutions focussed on the supports that help people thrive- from affordable housing and childcare, to affordable transit and rural broadband.ʺ

FCM's submission, Ending Poverty Starts Locally, lays out a roadmap for all governments to work together to build more inclusive communities. Its 12 recommendations include prioritizing social and affordable housing repair and construction, strengthening intergovernmental dialogue and supporting Indigenous peoples in municipalities.

ʺAffordable housing is the foundation of strong communities, and it's the key to poverty reduction. To succeed, any national poverty reduction strategy will need to prioritize concrete measures to address the affordale housing crisis across the countryʺ, added Gerbasi.